Townes Van Zandt

Birth Name:

John Townes Van Zant

Birth Date:

March 7, 1944

Birth Place:

Fort Worth, Texas

Death Date:

January 1, 1997

Place of Death:

Smyrna, Tennessee, U.S.

Age:

Cause of Death:

Heart attack due to chronic alcohol abuse

Cemetery Name:

Dido Cemetery

Claim to Fame:

Music

He was a reckless drunk and a hopeless idealist, but he is considered by many the greatest Texas songwriter of his generation. He wrote numerous songs, such as "Pancho and Lefty", "For the Sake of the Song", "Tecumseh Valley", "Rex's Blues", and "To Live Is to Fly", that are widely considered masterpieces of American songwriting. His musical style has often been described as melancholy and features rich, poetic lyrics. During his early years, Van Zandt was respected for his guitar playing and fingerpicking ability.

Fun Fact

Townes Van Zandt never had a hit as a singer, but Don Williams and Emmylou Harris had a hit with Van Zandt’s “If I Needed You,” which reached No. 3 on the country charts in 1982. Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard teamed up the following year on a version of “Pancho and Lefty” that reached No. 1. Harris also recorded “Pancho and Lefty.”

Cemetery Information:

Final Resting Place:

Dido Cemetery

12341 Morris Dido Newark Rd, , TX

Fort Worth, Texas, 76179

USA

North America

Grave Location:

Section A, Van Zandt Family Plot

Grave Location Description

As you park in front of the cemetery office, walk back towards the burial ground and take the center path up into the cemetery. Walk about 50 feet and turn left in the row just before the family plot surrounded by a black iron gate. Walk approximately 12 graves into Section A for the final resting place of TVZ.